The Path of Shadows
by Dragon Serpent
Summary: A fictional prequel to the 'The Way of Shadows' by Brent Weeks, this is about an assassin who becomes a traitor, and then becomes the saviour of the world!
1. Prologue

**The Path of Shadows**

**The perfect killer has no allies, just enemies.**

**PROLOGUE**

The fortress wasn't big. The stone-walled building was only half a kilometre long and though the height was only two stories high, the four turrets seemed from afar to pierce the night. Attached to the end of each turret was the flag with an eagle spreading its wings, constantly flying in the high winds. A tall, average-built man in mottled gray robes smiled when he saw the eagles as he climbed the treacherous cliff. His blond hair was struggling to hold in shape against the wind. His handsome face with perfectly defined features was crumpled under the strain of climbing. His watery blue eyes were filled with determination of reaching the top to speak with the Shinga; the head of the Sa'kage. The most powerful criminal organisation in Midycru might be interested in hiring the best wetboy in the world.

After finally reaching flat ground, the man strapped a big sword as dark as night that he carried in a sack onto his back. He checked his belt hidden under the robes to find all seven small daggers sheathed. He drew out three and when he saw they were still tipped with white asp poison, he placed them back. He equipped one of the normal daggers to his left wrist, ready to bring it out in a flash if required. For all he knew, the Sa'kage may not like a wetboy so close in their midst. And only a fool walked into battle with no weapons. As he approached the solid, wooden gate, two guards stopped him. By their simple clothing of silk cloth stretched over their skin covered in thin metal armour, he knew they were just underlings. But his eyes were no longer fixed on their appearance. They were focused on the two short swords that could attack. Instead, he was surprised that when they noticed his face, they unsheathed their weapons and moved aside. Nobody knew who he was, except the high members of the Sa'kage, known as the Nine. No common person knew him and their reaction proved that wrong. It occurred to him now that the Shinga was expecting him and he was probably walking into a trap.

A woman sitting at the desk on the second floor in the conference room was writing a letter when her personal guard burst in. Her beautiful face shone in the light as she raised it. The dark, brown eyes always intimidated anyone who stared at them. It was the symbol of her authority. She finally stood up and put down the feather.

"What is it?" she asked impatiently. She did not like being disturbed when writing.

"Sorry miss," the bald man said quietly. "But he is here, waiting for you downstairs."

The woman looked at him in a puzzled way.

"Who?" she demanded. The guard's expression was frightened to even say the name.

"It is Durzo Blint miss!" he whispered. The woman's face matched the guard's.

Standing in the grand hall just after the entrance, the man was waiting for someone to show. He had only been waiting for a minute, yet he was already getting impatient. At last a sound came from the top of the stairs. A woman who looked about 26 years old, quite petite was coming down with a single, bald guard. Her figure had lots of curves and made her look sexy. Her breasts were well-rounded and were slightly tight against her cleavage.

"Ah, Durzo," the lady spoke. "I have been expecting you." The man looked a little confused and sensed a possible trap. His eyes darted around the room. When he noticed several shadows behind the six pillars supporting the hall, he replied angrily.

"If you thought that a small number of just six men can ambush me, then I am a little disappointed." The woman just merely smiled.

"It is you whom I am disappointed at Durzo, the best wetboy indeed!" With that, two doors on opposite sides of the hall opened and thirty more guards rushed in. However, the men only took positions at the woman's side and Durzo could still see her, right at the front of them. She hesitated before giving the order to attack.

"I am a little curious…" she started, "At how you managed to avoid detection before reaching our headquarters." Durzo could not help but smirk at her. Of course, there was a clearly cut path in the mountain that led up to the castle that was garrisoned with over a hundred troops. Since Durzo could not be bothered to waste his energy, he had taken the 'backdoor'. He thought to himself for a moment of telling her. '_Oh fuck it, it's not like she can stop me doing it again.' _He managed to reply without releasing a hint of glee.

"I just climbed the mountain" he said casually. Everyone in the room had shock flit across their faces. The woman was the first to recover.

"You speak as if it took no effort, yet why did you bother? Any other wetboy might have been able to find a gap between the troops and pass through in disguise or stealth." she finished. The men at her sides had lowered their swords a little. Durzo looked quite offended.

"I am not like the other foolish wetboys trying to show off." he said. Just to show that he was not joking, the woman turned her head to see one of her guards drop dead on the floor with a dagger between his eyes. She glanced back at Durzo and saw that he stood exactly like he was a second ago, except that there was a dead guard and everyone in the room did not even see how it happened. The woman smiled.

"Very impressive, I am Gwinvere Kirena, also known as th-"

"Goddess of Pleasure," Durzo finished. "You have quite a small reputation in the Warrens." Gwinvere's eyes immediately turned cold. '_Did he just say small?_' she thought. Durzo then gave a tiny smile to say he was joking. 'Well he certainly has a shit sense of humour.' She managed to straighten her face.

"Anything else you like to say so that I can speak without interruptions?" The wetboy seemed as if he was getting tired of talking.

"I am here to see Daydron, your Shinga." he said.

"Well I'm afraid he doesn't wish to see you so get lost!" she replied with a sneer. As Gwinvere turned towards the stairs, another dagger shot past, just skimming her left cheek. Her guards once again raised their swords, but were too frightened to attack. When Durzo spoke, his voice barely suppressed menace.

"I know that you are the Shinga Gwinvere!" The beauty that covered her face was instantly altered from shock. 'How the hell did he know?' she thought.

"How the heck did you know?" she demanded. Durzo grinned.

"Only a fool or a powerful person has the guts or nerve to tell me to get lost." The woman finally seemed to accept his skills. 'About fucking time!' he thought.

"Indeed with your impossible knowledge and abilities, you are very impressive. However, before you can be accepted in the Sa'kage, you must prove that you are really a wetboy." she said. Durzo's eyes rolled. And he thought he just did prove it.

"Who's the deader?" he asked. The word 'deader' was used by wetboys as an alternative to 'target'. Durzo Blint coolly thought to himself. Assassins called their marks targets, because they sometimes miss.


	2. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

For four centuries, the city Cenaria had always been the capital of Midycru. In the east was Cuera, home to the se'caurai, a race of brilliant swordsmen. In the south, was large mountain that had never been explored. And in the north was Khalidor, home to the evil Godkings who have ruled for over seven centuries. The current Godking was Garoth Ursuul, a powerful Vurdmeister and aethling. It was widely known that his greatest ambition was to rule all of Midycru. However, his armies have failed to invade Cenaria. The pass, Screaming Winds, has always been garrisoned with a thousand Cenarian soldiers, all veterans. No matter what the Godking sends towards Cenaria, Screaming Winds have always repelled the attacks. The duke who was in charge of the garrison was Regnus Gyre. Apart from the King's son and daughter, the duke was the next in line for the throne of Cenaria. The current king, David Gunder was a reasonable and had some popularity with the people, however when it came to war, he was useless.

Regnus was still staring from the castle that stood in the middle of the pass. Half of his men were asleep while the other half was on guard duty. The weapons and armour was packed right in front of their barracks. Should Screaming Winds come under attack, the whole garrison would be ready for it within a minute. As he turned back from the balcony and returned to his bedchamber, a knock rapped on the door. Regnus slowly drew his sword. He was a powerful, wide man, almost six feet tall and his simple robe incredibly managed to define his muscles. His sword was simple as well, a cutlass except that the hilt was thinner allowing for a tighter grip.

"Who's there?" he demanded. His voice was always full of authority, even when he was off duty. The person on the other side of the door replied.

"Your Excellency, I carry an important message!" the notes of urgency were clearly heard. The duke sheathed his sword and opened the door. Before him stood a small man, his white skin shining with sweat and his sort cropped hair was messy.

"Ah, Sergeant Gamble, what message do you bring?" Regnus asked.

"Sir, our spies have heard that the Sa'kage is going to kill your advisor." Regnus look quite shocked, he hated the Sa'kage and if he was in power, he would have had them wiped out years ago. His personal advisor, Frial Bane was a low-class noble who had served with the utmost loyalty, but was never too bright. Why the hell would the Sa'kage want him? Regnus pulled him self from his mind.

"Do you know why they want him?" The sergeant kept his voice in tone.

"Yes sir! According to the spies, Frial Bane had asked for his nobility to be recognised. The Sa'kage had helped him by using their own people to spread inspiring stories of Frial in battle and they even bribed some of our men. In return, Frial agreed to the demand that the Sa'kage receive sixty five percent of the wealth that Frial would be granted." He finished. Regnus looked bemused. His face was contorted with anger.

"He asked for the help of scum just to be popular among the people?" Sergeant Gamble also looked very ashamed. The duke calmed himself.

"Do you also know how they are going to kill him?"

"Yes your Excellency! We have rumours that the Sa'kage has recently hired a new wetboy. We believe he will be the one to take out Frial Bane." Gamble finished.

"Very well sergeant! I want you find Frial as quickly as you can and have him brought to me. And get your spies to find out more about this 'new' wetboy!"

"Yes sir!" With that the sergeant turned and walked down the stairs.

A pock marked man was walking around the streets. He was only five foot seven inches and his hair was forced in a ponytail shape with a braid. Durzo had been following him around the industrial part of town. He was getting furious but remained hidden in the shadow that the slanted rooftops provided. Another difference between assassins and wetboys were that wetboys possessed a special kind of magic known as the Talent. The Talent varied for each individual. It could give them super-human strength or it could cloak their user with shadows, disfiguring the human shape and therefore making the user less known to people. The Talent could even be used to create illusions like the person is someone else. Of course, if anything came into contact with the illusion that was heavier than rain, the illusion would shatter.

Of course, some wetboys' Talents could do multiple things when they are focused. Durzo Blint had spent seven years refining his Talent. He could do all of these things with ease. With that thought in mind, Durzo leapt off the roof and landed on another house that was 5 metres away. Any other person who attempted that would probably have committed suicide. When he crouched back into position, using the Talent to disfigure his human shape in shadows, the pock marked man began talking with another merchant, again.

"Ah Mr. Bane! It is good to see you. Is there anything I can interest you with?" the small merchant said. His entire body was covered in a dirty stinking robe that masked his face. The pock marked man glanced around the shop and turned his head back to the dealer.

"I am here to see your collection of poisons," Frial replied. The merchant's happy face dropped. As he spoke, his hands were slightly twitching.

"Uh, uh I am afraid I- I don't know what you are taking abou-" Frial Bane grabbed by the collar with such speed that surprised even Durzo.

"I want your poison so I can kill Regnus Gyre! If you do not supply me with it, you will die!" And with that he pulled out his scabbard and pinned it against the merchant. Durzo just stayed where he was. It was not very surprising to hear that one of the duke's advisors was plotting against him. Corruption, betrayal, Cenaria had it all for over fifty years. He began wondering if he should strike now and save the merchant or wait till later. Durzo made up his mind.

The merchant was beginning to sweat heavily with fear. His voice had become croaky. What a pathetic sight, Durzo thought.

"Please Mr. Bane! I shall give you poison, but it will cost you." The merchant replied. Frial took out a small bag from his pouch.

"Here is 20 crowns!" Frial answered. He dropped it on the floor. "Pick it up and get me the damn poison!" The merchant hastily picked up the spilled contents and went over to his study desk where he withdrew a small tube. The tube was filled with a dark-green liquid. Durzo smiled. Meridian was a very deadly poison and took months to study. Clearly the merchant was a professional in herb medicine. He passed it to Frial, bowed and walked to upstairs to his private quarters. Mr. Bane slipped the tube into his pouch, turned… and felt a strange sensation in his chest. He looked down at dagger that had pierced his heart. He looked up again and saw the shadow of a man who had thrown it. He was just standing on the opposite building, at least 20 metres away. The accuracy of the throw made Frial realise that he had just been assassinated. He fell to his knees and saw the man approach him. He closed his eyes. Durzo quickly analysed the corpse. It was a damn fine throw he thought. He pulled the dagger out and sheathed it back into his belt. He opened the deader's pouch and took the tube. At least he didn't have to make his own poison now. He turned and used his Talent to blend back into the shadows.


	3. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

"Sorry sir, I don't know where he is. All I heard was that he went to the industrial side." a young man said. He was wearing nothing except a short sleeved robe which by the looks of it, had not been cleaned for a long time. Nothing but a peasant. Cenaria had their few, though the Warrens were literally overflowing with them.

Sergeant Gamble let out a small sigh.

"Very well, carry on with your business," he replied. The peasant walked away. God damn it! Doesn't anyone know where exactly he is? Sergeant Gamble and his four men had been scouting the whole city, asking people what they had seen for hours and no one knew. Still, the peasant did say he could be in the industrial side. There was a merchant who he knew as one of the best apothecary Cenaria had. He would take a look at his shop first. "Come on men!" the sergeant ordered.

Regnus Gyre was still sparring with his guards. They were pretty good, he thought. Indeed some of them had been close to beating him, after all he did tell them not to hold back. When he pinned the last man to the ground, he sheathed his stick sword and helped the veteran up. The guard looked astounded.

"Well done Lieutenant!" Regnus encouraged.

"Thank you your Excellency!" the guard replied and walked out. Regnus retreated to the small lake in his private rooms. He deserved one hell of a bath. Just when he was about to enter, one of his couriers arrived.

"Excuse me your Excellency? Sergeant Gamble requests to have a word with you. He says it's urgent." Regnus looked up. About time the Sergeant had found Frial Bane.

"Let him in immediately!" the duke commanded. The courier bowed, walked out when Sergeant Gamble walked in. "Well sergeant? Where is he?" Something in the Gamble's eyes looked wrong. He finally spoke.

"I'm afraid he is dead. We were too late. We found his corpse lying in the merchant's shop. We barged into his private quarters and interrogated, but we believe he did not kill him." Regnus was angry. The news of Frial's death was very unsettling. Despite even his stealth, the new wetboy had succeeded. That raised another question.

"And what have you found out about the new wetboy?" The sergeant was looking ashamed. His face was covered in despair.

"I'm afraid nothing sir! The Sa'kage is always slippery and they probably have half of our city on their payroll. Fuck! This was just the news he had been afraid of and pushed the thought out while sparring. The duke walked over to his desk and wrote something on a piece of blank parchment. When he finished, Regnus folded it into a small size that could fit in a pouch.

"Sergeant, I want you to continue your investigation and pass this message to King David," Regnus handed the paper to Gamble. "It's a request for more troops on the hunt for the Sa'kage. That will be all!" Sergeant Gamble placed the message into his pouch and walked towards the door. As his hand grasped the knob, the duke called out. "Be careful old friend, I do not want you to end up dead!" The sergeant opened the door and walked down the white-pillared hall with in a hopeful mood.

The four men that had arrived with Gamble were waiting in the dining room. At his presence, they instantly snapped to attention. They had their hands ready to draw swords. It was the reason why Gamble had chosen these men; they were the best.

"Listen up men! You are to return to the barracks, inform all the others to be ready by dawn. I will go to King David to pass an urgent message. Move out!" With the last word, the four veterans marched out of the main entrance of the castle.

"Are you sure we can trust him mistress? We don't know anything about him!" Gwinvere was already in a foul mood. Her spies had just come to tell her that the duke is preparing for another attempt on taking out the Sa'kage. As if that was not enough, her stupid, bald guard doubted the new wetboy. 'Imbecile!' she thought. She turned around to face him. She had enough gazing beyond the window, looking at the corrupt, busy, yet clean city. She could not even be bothered to shut it.

"I have addressed my concerns on the matter. Since I have overcome them, I don want hear more of this!" The Shinga was about to walk out when the bald man spoke again.

"Um- mistress you sh- shou-" By the gods, the man just doesn't know when to shut the fuck up! She turned around again to shout at him and froze. Right on the edge of the open window was Durzo Blint, sitting comfortably with his left leg crossed over his right. His mottled gray robes were slightly flapping with the wind.

"Well you certainly like to make an entrance!" Gwinvere smirked, hiding her surprise. The wetboy for some reason did not seem eager for a conversation. Then she remembered why. Durzo acknowledged the realisation with a small nod.

"Frial's dead. Am I in or what?" he said. 'The man does get to the point rather quick!' she thought. Gwinvere let herself smile a little.

"If you wish to join, then come here and kneel before me," she said. Surprisingly, Durzo laughed. When he calmed himself, his look said 'In hell I will'. Gwinvere was now really annoyed. "Very well, if you do not bow down before me, you will be banished from the Sa'kage and I will have my guards order your death!" Of course, she knew full well that Durzo would not be killed by her guards; they would end up dead instead. And yet surprisingly, Durzo knelt before her.

"This better be worth it," he said. Gwinvere recited an oath and gestured to Durzo to repeat it. For a moment, it seemed the wetboy was going to laugh, but he did not.

"I am Sa'kage, a lord of shadows. I claim the shadows that the Shadow may not. I am the strong arm of deliverance. I am Shadowstrider. I am the Scales of Justice. I am He-Who-Guards-Unseen. I am Shadowslayer. I am Nameless. The _coranti _shall not go unpunished. My way is hard, but I serve unbroken. In ignobility, in nobility. In shame, honour. In darkness, light. I will do justice and love mercy. Until the king returns, I shall not lay my burden down." Durzo replied. As he got up, he smirked at Gwinvere. 'Coranti' meant the damned, and as far as he could see, everyone in the Sa'kage was damned. He thought that by king, the oath was talking about the return of the High King, who ruled all of Midycru united.

"Now that you are part of the Sa'kage, you will take all your orders from either me or other members of the Nine. Do you understand?" Gwinvere said. One threatening expression on Durzo's face told her that she should not have said that. Although she had gotten a little red, she still managed to continue. "Fortunately for you, I have another task that needs to be dealt with quickly. Since you like showing off so much, it's your job to do it." The wetboy grinned like a little kid.

"Who?" he said. The Shinga looked at one of her exquisite pictures on the wall before she answered. It was a picture of an angel with bright white wings.

"A woman who has been bothering the Sa'kage for a long time," Gwinvere said. "Yelda Graesin. She is one of the politicians of Cenaria. Although she doesn't have much influence, she has been trying to destroy us. For the past few months, my guards have captured agents sent by her to enter this castle. She is becoming irritating. The Nine has agreed that it's time for her to move on to another place." she finished. With that, Durzo instantly turned and dived out the window. Gwinvere leaned against to see his silhouette break through the small frozen lake below. "_Not bad,_" she thought…


	4. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

Two peasants walking along the main streets of Cenaria were walking towards the House of Council. They were each carrying a heavy sack which seemed to glow gold. One of them, the taller, cleaner man began talking.

"You think that a rich politician like Lady Graesin would send her guards to pick up her taxes. Instead she uses us servants like slaves!" he shouted. The other, younger man turned his head to reply.

"Well what did you except? If you ask me, I think all of Cenaria is bloody corrupt. Haven't you heard of the new law they put in effect? All of the city guards are now collecting more taxes from people like us; saying that it's for a new building location. It's a load of bollocks if you ask me!" The older man looked at him with shock. When he spoke, his voice was slightly shaky.

"I've heard rumours of those guild rats in the Warrens being abused by the rich all the time!" The younger man seemed a little confused.

"What would the rich be doing in such a shitty area?" he asked. Surprisingly, the older man smiled.

"Most of the rich are young men who need… certain pleasures that only the Warrens provide." When the young man was still confused, he said, "Brothels, prostitutes!" The young man was shocked. For a moment, he seemed to faint.

"What?! But I thought that all the brothels were run and controlled by the Sa'kage!"

At that, the old man's instantly darkened. A young couple walked by and looked at the two peasants suspiciously, before they headed off through an alley.

"Quiet you fool! If everyone discovers what we are trying to do, they'll have our blood!" he whispered. And then another voice spoke to them.

"Oh you don't need to worry about anything!" The two peasants turned around and two daggers flew between their eyes. By the time they had dropped to the ground, the wetboy was with them, picking up the gold-filled sacks.

In the House of Council, a young, petite but strict-looking woman was pacing up and down the hall. The two peasants she had sent to fetch her taxes had not returned. They were already twenty minutes late. 'Don't they know that I hate having to fucking wait? Don't they know what I can do to them?' The woman cherished the thought as one of the courtiers entered.

"My lady, our guards have returned with taxes from the north of Cenaria. We are still in the progress of collecting and they will take some time. King David's demands have spread our forces thin. Is there anything you need?" he announced. The woman faced him and smiled. At least she got some of the money.

The other politicians would be arriving soon. The meeting would be to apply some new laws and tighter security measures. She rolled her eyes as she thought about it. The only reason she decided to go into politics was because the pay was incredible. Only half to what the King himself earns. The rest of the other stuff that was involved bored the hell out of her. She hated corruption more than anything, although even she had taken bribes from time to time. But now, just with everything else, she was bored. She wanted to end the corruption and she knew there was one criminal organisation that was the heart of it.

Durzo Blint had been hiding in a tree on the House of Council grounds. The grounds were strictly forbidden to everyone except the King, politicians and city guards. For ten minutes he had been studying the numerous guards' patrol patterns. He was severely disappointed. Two men always walked around the perimeter while the main mass stayed at the entrance to the grand hall. It looked like he was just going to have to fight his way through. Better take out the two guards first. He continued to watch as the two men returned from their perimeter patrol and switched with another two guards from the group. When they went out of sight from everyone, Durzo covered himself in shadows and stuck to the shade, stalking his prey.

The sergeant of the main group was getting a little edgy. So were the rest of his six men. From what had seen of the wetboy's performance with Frial Bane, he made himself and his men stay fully alert. Come to think of it, what had happened to the two other men he sent around the perimeter? Before he could even contemplate the thought, a shadow had enveloped them. The sergeant realised that one of his men fell down with a dagger in his heart, while the rest were fighting a man in mottled robes. The battle did not last even ten seconds. All of his men had been slaughtered by the intruder's big sword. The sergeant decided to attack. He knew instantly that it was foolish to try, because by the time he took to lift his own sword and bring it crashing down, the wetboy had already gotten right up to him, with a dagger threatening to cut his throat. And just when he thought it was over, the wetboy spoke.

"Where is Yelda Graesin?" The sergeant seemed to not believe what was happening. However, the wetboy reminded him with a gesture of the dagger that was still very close to his throat.

"You already know she is in the hall!" he replied. He was impressed with himself for even managing the answer. Again, surprisingly, the wetboy smiled.

"Just making sure. What is your name?" he asked and pressed the dagger till the sergeant was struggling to breathe.

"Gamble." he answered. And with that, the wetboy knocked him out and his last sight was of the attacker walking in the grand hall before he succumbed to darkness.

Yelda Graesin sensed that something was wrong. Judging by the screams of violence she heard, there must be someone trying to enter the House of Council by force. Either it was a messenger terribly dressed, or an intruder with evil intent. She then heard another noise moving past her.

"You know if you want more money, taxes aren't going to help you."

She looked up at the beams near the roof and, unbelievably, saw a man crouched on top of one. A wetboy. No doubt who sent him.

"I demand to know what you're doing up there and to know who sent you!" the politician shouted. She moved back a little to get a better view of the wetboy.

"You know who sent me and you know what I'm here to do." He answered. Yelda Graesin turned towards the entrance and ran. Before she could exit the hall, Durzo was blocking her way with his big, black sword. "I hate cowards!" he gritted through his teeth. And before Graesin could reply, the big sword was thrust into her chest.

As Gamble began to stir, he noticed the wetboy walking out of the hall. However, as he reached for his discarded sword, Durzo Blint was next to him. _Not again!_ he thought as the sergeant felt a great shock strike his head once more.


	5. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

The duke was looking very weary. He had just heard from his personal messenger that one of the politicians had been assassinated. Upon discovering further that it was Yelda Graesin, he was not too surprised. She never was one of the 'clean' ones. However, her death was a little disturbing. Regnus Gyre knew that the Sa'kage were the best crime organisation because of their ruthlessness. Yet even they did not kill without a reason. As he sat down on his bed to contemplate the thought, another knock reverberated on the door.

"Who's there?" Regnus' voice demanded. He should have left some guards outside his room. Even if it was a mere maid, the duke still grabbed his sword ready.

"Sergeant Gamble Sir!" a military tone answered. Regnus sheathed his weapon. He was already beginning to doubt the sergeant. There were eight guards with him, yet they all ended up dead and, for some unknown reason, the assassin had let him live.

"Yes come in sergeant," The duke replied.

As Gamble walked into the room, Regnus noticed that the sergeant's face was slightly distorted from a frown. But why was he frowning? Was he angry that he failed to kill the assassin? Or was he angry for his involvement with the Sa'kage almost being revealed? It was impossible to tell from looks alone. Looks were always deceptive.

"My men have confirmed that the assassination of Lady Graesin was planned and executed by the Sa'kage." Gamble reported. When he noticed the look of concern on the duke he added, "Is there something wrong sir?" Regnus glared at him like he had just asked a stupid question. It probably was.

"Sergeant, remind me exactly what happened at the House of Council," the duke asked. At first Gamble seemed surprised, but then saw the duke looking at him eye to eye. He gulped quietly before answering.

"At sun rise, the twelve members of the council were to meet at the House to discuss new laws on taxes. Lady Graesin was the first to arrive an hour early. She waited in the halls and at half past, me and my men switched positions with the other guards. Ten minutes into our patrol, we heard a faint rustling in the bushes. At that moment, I thought to myself what happened to the two guards that were patrolling the other side of the House as they were now late. Then all of a sudden, we were fighting one man who was in mottled, gray robes and wielded a large, black sword. One man crumpled to the ground with a dagger in the heart and the rest were killed within seconds. When I tried to fight, the wetboy disarmed me, held up another dagger to my throat and asked me where Lady Graesin was." The sergeant stopped to allow any questions to be asked.

Regnus was still looking weary and maintained eye contact.

"What did you tell him?" he said. Gamble was about to say that he told the wetboy you already knew, but reconsidered.

"I told him that you would just have to kill me!" he answered. Regnus did not show any emotion. Instead, he waved his hand in a dismissal. Gamble took the hint and left the room. The duke paced his room again. '_So it seems that the sergeant is indeed hiding something. King Gunder will not be pleased to hear one of his own politicians murdered by the same organisation we have been fighting for two years.' _Regnus Gyre stopped pacing and stared out of the window. Cenaria's glorious tall structures bathed in twilight. _'Mark my words wetboy, I will hunt you down!'_


	6. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

The mountain lying in the outskirts of Cenaria was suffering another blizzard. In the guard tower on the higher path, Major Brigden was monitoring the entrance with the hundred men garrisoned ahead of him on the lower path. Word had reached him that the new wetboy had assassinated one of Cenaria's politicians. Of course, the Major never believed that the Shinga had hired the wetboy for just petty assassinations. After all, he did not become the Sa'kage's number two man for being merciful. He became number two because he watched his back at every corner. And when it was threatened, then no matter what the cost, he would protect it. As he turned his attention back to the blizzard, he saw a man trudging his way through. At first, he thought that he was a wanderer, but as the man came closer, the Major immediately became suspicious. The man was trudging through the blizzard as if he was taking a causal stroll.

When he reached the black gate, the Major's men readied their arrows. The man merely stopped and looked up to the tower where Brigden was. The hood that the man was wearing came down. Even though he had seen him before, the Major was still surprised. He ordered his men to stand down and told two to open the gate. The gate itself was not very high, but it was so strong that even the heaviest battering rams could not penetrate it. The gate could only be opened via pulling up weights that were attached to either side. Of course, the weights themselves were not light by the slightest. The two men walking towards them were exceptionally strong, as was the rest of the garrison. The two men carefully lifted the weights and pulled. The gate slowly opened for the newcomer. All the while, the Major was smiling. It always fascinated him to see a gate so strong being opened so easily. However, he straightened his face as the man spoke.

"You are Major Brigden, the overall commander of this fortress' troops, correct?" The Major stood himself perfectly safe, and his left hand grasped the hilt of his sword.

"Yes indeed I am Mr… Blint wasn't it?" he replied hoping to surprise the assassin. Instead, the wetboy surprised _him _again.

"Enough introductions made. I have to speak with your superior, now!" Durzo snarled out the last word which made every man tense. The Major stared at him intently. He would really love to beat this man to a pulp and teach him manners in the most excruciating way, but unlike other fools, he knew his limit.

"You may pass assassin!" he shouted. The garrison repositioned themselves into two columns, one on each side of the rocky path. Without even a thank you gesture, Durzo ran ahead. Everyone was shocked, (some even gasped), when saw him halfway up within seconds! The speed was almost supernatural! After coming back to his senses, the Major took that stunt as confirmation that he was right not to meddle with him.

Durzo slowed instantly to a walk and carried up the path, out of the Major's sight. He smiled to himself inwardly. He was pleased to hear and feel their surprise and fear of him. Unfortunately, that trick took a little too much Talent from him. He found himself breathing slightly faster. As Durzo carried on, he twirled daggers in his hands, and almost dropped them. He put them carefully back on his belt. It seemed that he would have to very cautious until his body recovered from the sudden energy loss. In any other situation, he would have walked away now. However, he did have news for the Shinga and if it was not so bloody important, he still would have walked away...


	7. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

Gwinvere Kirena was pacing the main hall back and forth, her six guards on each side looking agitated. "_How the hell did this happen?_" She wondered. As she kept contemplating for the answer, one of the messengers turned up. Seeing the surprise on his face told Gwinvere that Durzo had finally arrived.

"Let him in!" she ordered. Two guards left their positions, unbarred and pulled the massive two-split door open. As expected, the wetboy was there and he began approaching the Shinga. As always, he wore no expression.

"Did you request for me, madam?" he asked firmly. He sounded polite, but his eyes told her he was actually annoyed. After all, this was very short notice.

"The future of the Sa'kage is being threatened. One of the King's dukes, Regnus Gyre is cracking down hard on our operations. As from yesterday, Cenaria's soldiers have been routing the entire city. We've had to temporarily close down two brothels and hold back all shipments. We have even lost some of our moles within the Council. Basically, until this purging finishes, the Sa'kage is not getting anymore income." Gwinvere finished. However, the assassin still did not seem fazed by this news.

"The Sa'kage has been around for 20 years. Within that time, this is the fifth time that Cenaria is fighting back. Why should this time be difficult to quell?" Durzo replied. Gwinvere was really pissed off now. When she spoke, her voice was venomous.

"Because this time, the hunting party is not being led by some grunts, but by a royal duke!" she gritted through her teeth. And in a flash, she though she saw Durzo's eyes give a hint of tiredness. She never thought that was possible of a wetboy.

"So you want me to kill him and break up the hunting party right?" he summarised. That notion made Gwinvere really angry and this time, she shouted.

"That is not an option," she answered. "If we kill him, Cenaria will not falter. Instead, we will have only increased their determination to hunt us. We need a new plan to end this." Durzo looked slightly excited at that sentence.

"And what do you have planned?" he asked. Gwinvere smiled inwardly.

"You have heard of King Alexis' son, Gunder correct?" she said. The wetboy gave a short nod. "The boy has come of age. However, unlike his father, he is weak, stupid, reckless, and bad tempered. Not to mention also…corruptible!" Durzo remained calm. "Once he takes control of Cenaria, I have someone ready to persuade him to leave us alone. Being the new King, all of his subordinates will obey!" Gwinvere said.

"Just one problem," The wetboy replied. Gwinvere's inward smile vanished. She did not speak, but merely inclined her head towards him, allowing him to carry on. "The old King is still fit and able. He is definitely not going to hand over his power yet. Neither is he going to stop the purge. And neither can you persuade him to," He finished. With relief, Gwinvere rolled her eyes and openly smiled. The wetboy seemed taken aback by her reaction.

"Well, I'm sure you can deal with that?" she questioned. A few seconds of silence passed. Then it was Durzo's turn to smile. He turned to the massive two-split door.

"Long live the King!" he answered before he exited the hall.


	8. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

As with the rest of Cenaria, the Royal Palace was a sight to behold. Even though it was not the biggest building, it was definitely the most popular. The stairs leading to the wooden-barred entrance doors were made of marble. Two guards standing on either side were immaculate armour and they stayed so still, any enemy would consider them statues instead of soldiers. Beyond the entrance lied a great hall with a patterned circle painted on the floor. The eight pillars supporting the massive room were fashioned in marble as well. To add to the royalty impression, there were twelve chairs made in silver for the twelve members of the Council. In the middle of them, a bigger chair made in gold was fixed in place. The sunshine through the elegantly glazed windows of angels beamed on the golden chair, as if highlighting it to anyone's attention. No doubt who sat in that in place.

Moving on from the great hall, the upper floors contained various rooms such as an armoury, (which was practically overflowing with weapons) and bedrooms for the forty royal guards. There was even a briefing room filled with various maps and strategy plans. Basically, the Royal Palace was simultaneously the Cenarian Army Headquarters. The members of the Council each had their own respective duties to fulfil. For example, Lady Graesin had taken care of tax income. Duke Gyre took command of the city's main defences. A young, dark duke by the name of Tayib Hussain was in charge of upholding the law with an assigned police force. With the order authorising the purge of criminals, he was quickly promoted to Sergeant and given the honour of carrying it out. So far, he and his police had closed down two brothels that were strongly suspected by Duke Gyre to be fronts of the Sa'kage. Little did Regnus know that Tayib was with the crime syndicate. It was only on the Shinga's orders that he 'closed down' the brothels. Furthermore, King Alexis constantly demanded a brief report on his progress with the purge. This enabled him to stay close and listen in on conversations between the king and the other members of the Council. This was Tayib's main job. Once a week, a messenger in robes came to take any new information from Tayib. The duke knew that the messenger would report back to the Shinga. From hearing rumours, how he wished to meet him! Tayib would love to at least see the great man, whose power was currently rivalling the King's!

Tayib Hussain was sitting in one of the private chambers inside the Palace, gazing out of the window at the sleeping city, expecting the messenger to arrive. Sure enough, a knock came from the door. Tayib got up from his chair.

"You may enter," he said. The door opened revealing a man in robes. That was how this business was done. A messenger entered and would either give him orders from the Shinga, take information or both. However, the messenger asked a new question.

"How do you meet King Gunder, Hussain?" the robed man enquired. Tayib then noticed the vocal change and the build of the messenger. He was different. The duke moved to unsheathe his blade when suddenly another was touching his throat. Tayib's eyes widened in shock and surprise. By the night angels, this messenger was fast!

"Easy Hussain, I don't have the authority to kill you… unless you become uncooperative!" the man spoke as he eased the dagger away from the duke's vital area. Tayib gulped quietly knowing it was useless to fight this intruder. But why did he say he didn't have authority? Was it because he was sent by the Sa'kage?

"I must know who I am passing the information to!" Tayib managed to muster. Beneath the hood, he saw the man smile. "I am with the organisation you are with," he said simply. Tayib hesitantly stared at him. Was he with the Sa'kage or was he with the King? Tayib thought to himself for a moment.

"You are a member of the Sa'kage?" the duke asked nervously. The robed man's smile did not falter. _What does that mean?_ Tayib thought. His body began to shiver.

"Good guess," the robed man replied. Tayib sighed with relief.

"Well what do you wish to know messenger?" the duke said. At last, the robed man took down his hood and his expression had turned instantly serious.

"How do you meet the King?" the man repeated.

"The King holds a military meeting every week with Ceneria's generals, council members and police officers. However, this week's meeting has already passed and the next one will be held in six days." Tayib finished. After hearing this, the messenger's face returned to smile.

"That will do." he replied. "How many guards are there during the meeting?" The duke's face distorted in confusion. The messengers never asked for that kind of information.

"You are not a messenger!" Tayib exclaimed. Already his mind was working out the real answer. The speed at which the man had pinned him, his handsome looks, his clothing attire, all of which meant only one thing. "You are one of the wetboys!" and as he spoke his eyes widened with reaisation that he had tried to threaten one. Durzo's expression remained unfazed.

"Another good guess," he answered. "One more question." Durzo took a silent step forward as Tayib took one back to the wall. "How well connected are you with the King?"

"I don't understand," the duke answered. The wetboy took another step as Tayib's back became well compressed against the wall.

"What I mean is how much authority does he grant you and how much clearance do you have, etc." Durzo rephrased. Tayib's forehead began breaking into a small sweat.

"I-I am the leader of Cenaria's police and I have regular contact with the King and he allows his dukes and ladies to enter his private chambers!" Durzo glared at him.

"Including you?" he asked.

"Well of course!" Tayib proudly stated.

"Perfect!" Durzo remarked. With that, he pulled out a dagger from within his mottled grey robes. Tayib immediately tensed up. This was getting very awkward.

"How so?" he asked. Again, there was no answer on the wetboy's face.

"Because in six days, the people's duke, Tayib Hussain is going to kill the King!" he replied. Tayib finally cracked.

"WHAT?" he shouted. Realising their surrounding, he lowered his voice. "The Shinga surely cannot expect me to do that!" Durzo smiled once more.

"No that's just the public story. You're not the one who's going to kill him." he explained. The sweat on the duke's face had now made it shine like the sun.

"Then wh-" Tayib said as the dagger plunged into his chest. Durzo just looked at him at him as if he was an idiot, which he was. The duke died before he even managed to figure it out. As the body slumped on the floor, two men wearing similiar clothes to Durzo walked in. One had blond, messy hair with a medium build and a bony face. The other had long, black hair with a lage build and a horribly scarred face. Out in the corridor, laid two dead men in uniforms.

"Take the duke's body to the Sa'kage Headquarters and bury it somehere in the snow." Durzo ordered...


	9. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

"HOW DARE YOU!" Gwinvere shouted. The six guards that remained in the main hall were sweating and very nervous even though she was not shouting at them. She was shouting at the man in front of her.

"I don't see what the problem is? Durzo said. "You want me to kill the King, right?"

"Not at the cost of Duke Hussain's life! Yes, he was an expendable asset but I planned to remove him much later, NOT NOW!" Kirena bellowed. Durzo inwardly smirked when he saw the guards twitch at her voice. _Pathetic cowards_, he thought. He honestly didn't know why someone so powerful surrounded herself with idiots. _Oh well, it'll only make the job of killing her easier should the time come_.

And then all of a sudden, the Shinga had calmed down. When she spoke again, it was with a quiet, yet commanding voice. The wetboy was very impressed.

"Tell me, what is your plan to get rid of the King?" Gwinvere asked. Durzo was stunned. That was unexpected. Did she not trust that he was capable of killing him? Or was she just asking so that she could sabotage it? Durzo inwardly shook his head. That wouldn't even make sense, since she wants the King dead. Then…why?

"Why do you wish to know?" he replied. Gwinvere's face remained blank.

"Tell me," she said again. Durzo was becoming more and more wary of her. Her voice sent a strange sensation through him, urging him to tell her. He smiled.

"Okay, I'll tell you!" Durzo answered.

**This was deliberately short so you know how the story is about to progress in the next chapter. **


End file.
